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BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), located in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is one (1) of the 27 Institutes and Centers composing the National Institutes of Health. The NIEHS is home to the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a Health & Human Services (HHS) interagency program dedicated to testing and evaluating substances in our environment. The National Toxicology Program Laboratory (NTPL) exists within the Division of the NTP to provide state-of-the-art laboratory research support that complements and extends the NTP's scientific capabilities and contributes to the identification and understanding of potential health related issues related to environmental/chemical exposures.
Current assessment of immunotoxicity for hazard identification and mode of action purposes utilizes a tiered approach that may include the generation of observational data, measurement of immune function, and evaluation of host susceptibility to neoplastic or infectious disease. These studies are time and resource intensive. In vitro approaches for some aspects of immunotoxicity, in particular the identification of contact allergens, have been quite successful. However, while in vitro tiered testing approaches have been proposed to evaluate immunotoxicity, the NIEHS currently has no reliable way to increase throughput to screen chemicals for immune suppression. Zebrafish offer an attractive alternative to traditional animal screening and prioritization because the development and function of their immune system is similar in nature to traditional rodent models. Tracking the effects of chemicals on immune system development in the zebrafish models can be done over a shorter time span as innate immune system function can be assessed within days of fertilization. However, before zebrafish assays are adopted for chemical screening and prioritization, the results from traditional rodent studies must be compared to zebrafish assays to ensure that the results are consistent with each other.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: 12 chemicals from the EPA ToxCast/Tox21 library have been previously analyzed and are known to target the immune system using the proposed zebrafish assays. The current need proposes to expand upon the previous studies by increasing the number of chemicals examined to 24 (an additional 12 chemicals). Assessment of these additional 12 chemicals will enable a more rigorous evaluation of the predictive nature of these medium throughput assays.
ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One year.
ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TYPE: The anticipated contract type will be firm fixed price contract type.
PERFORMANCE LOCATION: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
CAPABILITY STATEMENT/INFORMATION SOUGHT: Capability statements should include the following information:
- Company name and address;
- Clear and convincing documentation of their ability to provide the item specified in this notice. Must specifically demonstrate expertise in using zebrafish in immunotoxicity testing and must specifically demonstrate expertise in functional measures required to conduct the appropriate comparisons to existing rodent data;
- Examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information; respondents' DUNS number, organization name, address, point of contact, size and type of business (e.g., Other than small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses);
- Point of contact, including telephone number and email address for representative from interested business;
- Do you have a GSA vehicle that could be utilized for this item? If yes, please provide the contract number and point of contact information
CONFIDENTIALITY: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. The Government shall consider all responses received within fifteen days of this posting. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Written responses to this synopsis shall contain sufficient documentation to establish their capability to fulfill this requirement. NIEHS will not be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this notice. Please email, with the sources sought notice number in the subject line to the Contracting Officer listed below.